Amped-up double choc malt cookies
Original recipe from Jamie’s Comfort Food
Like most Aussie kids, my after-school snack often saw a cup of Milo with a 4:1 ratio of the chocolate-y malt powder to milk (with a few extra teaspoons of Milo thrown in for good measure). I would boil my love of malt to these mid-afternoon treats, but it could just as easily be attributed to packets of Ovalteenies in the courtyard at Recess or buckets of Maltesers at the cinema.
One thing is for sure, chocolate and malt is a winning combination.
That’s why I was so excited when I stumbled across this recipe when leafing through Jamie’s Comfort Food. Combining nostalgia-inducing ingredients including condensed milk, malt powder, Maltesers and white chocolate, I needed to try this cookie. Immediately.
Wanting to give this recipe a true run for its money, I aimed to stick to the ingredients and ratios as strictly as possible. The only change was the malt powder. Where Jamie Oliver’s recipe called for Horlicks, my local supermarket sadly didn’t have any in stock at 4.30 pm on the day before a public holiday. Out of time, I substituted the British classic for its universal sibling drink, Ovaltine.
I also misread the two teaspoons of Ovaltine for tablespoons, meaning my version of this already indulgent treat packs an all-malty punch. I didn’t find the resulting flavour overbearing but if malt isn’t really your thing, then stick to the original quantities.
While this recipe certainly had the potential to fall into ‘the too-sweet, too-rich’ category of double chocolate cookies, the result is welcomingly balanced.
The malt flavour truly shines through (no doubt in part thanks to my generous addition of Ovaltine) and while the cookie is rich, it’s not sickeningly so. The condensed milk brings a rounder sweetness than the traditional mix of white and brown sugar and the 70% dark chocolate base retains the deep cocoa flavour.
I baked my cookies for slightly longer than recommended, not convinced that the outer edges had firmed enough at the 12-minute mark. Instead, I let the cookies bake for 15 minutes at 170C.
I retrospect, I probably could’ve forgone the extra 3-minutes as the cookies continued to firm quite a bit when left to cool. Regardless, bite down through the crisp edges and you’ll sink your teeth into an indulgently chewy centre.
A tip for this recipe: have your ingredients measured and ready. Although it’s relatively straightforward, you’ll want to work quickly once the butter and chocolate has come off the stove. Having your ingredients portioned and ready to go will avoid any unnecessary stress when it comes to pulling it all together.
Ingredients
50 g unsalted butter, cubed
200 g dark chocolate (70%)
1 x 395 g tin of sweetened condensed milk
25 g ground almonds
2 heaped tbsp Ovaltine
200 g self-raising flour
pinch of sea salt flakes
100 g Maltesers
50 g Nestle Milkybar
110 g milk chocolate
Method
Melt together the butter and dark chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth and combined.
Remove the mixture from the heat and gradually stir in the condensed milk.
Add ground almonds and Ovaltine, and stir until smooth.
Sift the flour over the chocolate mixture, add a pinch of sea salt flakes, and stir until a smooth dough forms.
Chill in the fridge for approximately 25 minutes, making sure not to chill your dough for more than 30 minutes.
While the dough is chilling, roughly chop the Maltesers and white chocolate into chunks.
Preheat the oven to 170C and line two baking trays with baking paper.
Remove the dough from the fridge and mix in the chopped Maltesers and white chocolate. You may need to get your hands involved and knead the chocolate through the cookie dough.
Portion the dough into 24 equal-sized calls, place even-distance apart on the prepared baking trays, and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cookies a firm on the edges and still soft in the centre.
Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cookies are cooling, melt milk chocolate and drizzle over top. To avoid making a mess, add sheets of baking paper under the wire racks.